Safety device for limiting the amount of gas discharged from a container containing a liquefied gas to a predetermined volume

ABSTRACT

1,209,164. Liquefied gas-storage containers. L. BAGNULO. 7Nov., 1967 [1 Nov., 1966], No. 49637/67. Heading F4P. [Also in Division F2] Means for discharging a predetermined volume of gas from the gas space of a liquefied gas, e.g. petroleum gas storage cylinder 3, Fig. 1, when a two-position discharge valve 21 is opened by moving an external lever 13 from its closed to open position shown in Fig. 3 comprises a float 40 which when the lever 13 is in the open position is latched to a rod 26 extending through the float and having its upper square end 25, Fig. 4, in sliding engagement with a squaresectioned chamber 24 formed in the lower end of the valve 21 and carrying an abutment 36 which when the float 40 sinks a certain distance, irrespective of the liquid level, releases a valveholding pin 30 thereby allowing the valve 21 to be closed by a spring 19 even though the lever 13 remains in the open position. The lever 13 is fixed to an arbor 12 which projects through a fixed member 14 and has a square end 16 slidable in a recess in the upwardly spring-biased head 17 of a shank 20 integral with valve 21. The upper end of the head 17 has diametrically opposed cam lugs 18, 18&lt;SP&gt;1&lt;/SP&gt;, Fig. 5, which when the lever, arbor and head are rotated ride over lugs 15, 15&lt;SP&gt;1&lt;/SP&gt; on fixed member 14 resulting in opening of valve 21 to a position in which a notch 37 is engaged by the pin 30. The rotational movement of the valve when being opened is transmitted to the rod 26, which after a 90 degrees turn is latched to the float by engagement of diametrical longitudinal extending ribs thereon with spring clips on the float and the rod is thus moved downwardly by the float as the liquefied gas vaporizes until the abutment 36 strikes a lever 33 to withdraw the pin 30 and allow valve 21 to be closed by its spring 19. To effect a further discharge of gas lever 13 is moved from its open to its closed position resulting in rod 26 being rotated 90 degrees and unlatched from the float 40 and returned by its spring 49 so that its square end 25 is near the upper end of chamber 24 in valve 21 and the lever 13 is then turned to the valveopen position. In a modification the upper square end of the rod 26, Fig. 8, is in direct sliding engagement with the arbor 53, and the two-position valve 55 is unseated by an arm 56a of a three-armed lever 56 having an arm 56c engaging a cam slot 51 in an extension 52 of the arbor 53. The third arm 56b when engaged by the abutment 36 on rod 26 in its lower position rotates lever 56 to close the valve 55. As in the previous embodiment rod 26 becomes latched to the float when the manual lever 54 is turned from the valve-closed to valve-open position and the rod remains latched until the lever is returned to the valve-closed position. (For Figures see next page.)

3,469,597 HARGED Sept. 30, 1969 BAGNULQ SAFETY DEVICE FOR LIMITING THEAMOUNT OF GAS msc FROM A CONTAINER CONTAINING A LIQUEFIED GAS TO APREDETERMINED VOLUME 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 2, 1967 3,469,597HARGED FROM A CONTAINER coummxue A LIQUEFIED GAS Sept. 30. W69 L.BAGNULO SAFETY DEVICE FOR LIMITING THE AMOUNT 05 GAS DISC TO APREDE'I'ERMIN-BD VOLUME 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 2, 1967 -VAI m Sept.30, 1969 BAGNULO 3.469597 SAFETY DEVICE FOR LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF GASDISCHARGED FROM A CONTAINER CONTAINING A LIQUEFIED GAS TO APREDETERMINED VOLUME Filed Nov. 2, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 9t- 30. .69 L.-BAGNULO 3,469,

SAFETY DEVICE FOR LIMITING THE CLINT 0F GAS DISCHARGED FROM A CONTAINERCONTAINING A LIQUBFIED GAS To A PREDETERUINBD VOLUME Filed Nov. 2, 19674 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,469,597 SAFETY DEVICE FORLIMITING THE AMOUNT OF GAS DISCHARGED FROM A CONTAINER CONTAINING ALIQUEFIED GAS TO A PRE- DETERMINED VOLUME Luigi Bagnulo, Via A. Volta18, Milan, Italy Filed Nov. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 680,072 Claims priority,application Italy, Nov. 7, 1966, 782,751/66 Int. Cl. F16k 21/16; F17c7/02, 9/02 US. Cl. 137-209 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safetydevice for limiting the amount of gas discharged from a containercontaining a liquefied gas to a predetermined volume after each openingof a gas discharge valve connected to the container and including afloat floating on the liquefied gas in the container and following theliquid level variations during discharge of gas therefrom, and anintermediate member connectible to the float for movement therewith whenthe valve means is moved to an open position and cooperating with thevalve means to move the latter to a closed position when the float andthe intermediate member connected thereto has moved during discharge ofgas downwardly a predetermined distance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a safetydevice for limiting the amount of gas discharged from a containercontaining a liquefied gas to a predetermined volume after each openingof a gas discharge valve connected to the container. Such a safetydevice will prevent after opening of the valve complete discharge of thegas from the container when due to an oversight the valve is notmanually closed again to prevent discharge of gas from the containerbeyond a desired volume.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for such a safetydevice which will automatically close the gas discharge valve after apredetermined amount of gas has been discharged from the containerwithout requiring the operator to close the valve.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide for a safetydevice of the aforementioned kind which is composed of relatively fewand simple parts and which will operate in a foolproof manner duringextended use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With these objects in view, the safety deviceaccording to the present invention for limiting the amount of gasdischarged from a container containing a liquefied gas to apredetermined volume mainly comprises valve means connected to thecontainer and including a valve body movable between an open and aclosed position, operating means operable from the exterior of thecontainer for moving the valve body between the positions thereof, afloat adapted to float on the liquefied gas in the container and tofollow the liquid level variations during discharge of gas therefrom, anintermediate member movable from a starting position in one directionalong a limited stroke and back to the starting position, meansconnecting the intermediate member to the float regardless of theposition of the latter during movement of the valve body by theoperating means from the closed to the open position and fordisconnecting the ice member from the float during reverse movement ofthe operating means so that the member when connected with the floatwill move during discharge of gas from the container in the onedirection away from its starting position, control means cooperatingwith the intermediate member and the valve body for moving the latter tothe closed position when the float during discharge of gas has beenlowered through a predetermined distance and thereby moved theintermediate member connected thereto through this distance in the onedirection so as to limit the amount of gas discharged from the containerafter opening of the valve means, and means cooperating with theintermediate member for moving the latter back to its starting positionwhen the operating means is moved in said reverse direction to therebydisconnect the intermediate member from the float.

In a preferred construction, the device includes also arresting meansmovable between an active position and an inactive position andcooperating in the active position with the valve body to maintain thelatter in the open position and the control means include biasing meanscooperating with the valve body to yieldably maintain the latter in theclosed position and means between the arresting means and theintermediate member to move the arresting means to the inactive positionwhen the intermediate member has moved together with the float in theone direction through the predetermined distance to thereby free thevalve body to move under the influence of the biasing means cooperatingtherewith to the closed position. In this construction, the operatingmeans preferably comprise an operating member turnably mounted on thevalve means and calm means connected to the operating member andcooperating with the valve body for moving the latter at least from theclosed to the open position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned sideView of a container containing a liquefied gas and the safety deviceaccording to the present invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is an axial cross section through the safety device according tothe present invention and showing the device in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is an axial cross section similar to FIG. 2 and showing thedevice in its open position;

FIG. 4 is a partial view in axial cross section and showing the valvemeans of the safety device and elements cooperating therewith to anenlarged scale and in the open position of the valve means;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of cam means incorporated in thesafety device;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 1 and beingdrawn to an enlarged scale and showing the intermediate member connectedto the float;

FIG. 7 is a cross section similar to FIG. 6 and showing the intermediatemember disconnected from the float;

FIG. 8 is an axial cross section through another embodiment of thesafety device according to the present invention and showing the same inits closed position; and

FIG. 9 is an axial cross section similar to FIG. 8 and showing thedevice in its open position.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to thedrawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1-7 of the same, it will beseen that the safety device according to the present inventionillustrated in these figures includes valve means comprising housingmeans composed of a housing member 1 formed with an axial boretherethrough which in a lower portion of the housing member 1 isenlarged to form a chamber 6 coaxial with the bore 5. The chamber 6 issubstantially closed at its lower end by a housing member 9 coaxiallyarranged with the housing member 1 and screwed into a cavity of enlargeddiameter coaxially arranged with the chamber 6 below the latter. Themember 9 is formed with a bore extending in axial direction therethroughand forming at its slightly enlarged lower end portion thereof valveseat 11. The housing member 1 is formed at the outer periphery of alower portion thereof with a screw thread 2 by means of which thehousing member 1 is threadingly connected in a corresponding openingformed for instance in an upper wall portion of a container 3 which mayhave, as for instance shown in FIG. 1, a substantially cylindrical formand which is adapted to contain a liquefied gas 4 under pressure, forinstance liquefied natural gas and filling the container up to a certainlevel as indicated in FIG. 1.

The housing member 1 is further formed with a discharge passage 7communicating at an inner end thereof with a lower portion of thechamber 6 and extending through a lateral projecting portion of thehousing member 1 which is formed at the outer end with a screw fitting 8for connecting a gas delivery pipe or the like to the outer end of thedischarge passage 7.

A valve body 21 is arranged coaxially with the bore 10 through themember 9 movable in axial direction with respect to the valve seat 11 atthe bottom end of the member 9 between an open position as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 and a closed position as shown in FIG. 2, in which asealing gasket 23 coaxially arranged with the valve body 21 in a cavityat the upper end of the latter engages the valve seat .11 to preventflow of gas from the interior of the container 3 through the bore 10 andthe chamber 6 into the discharge passage 7.

Operating means are provided to move the valve body 21 at least from theclosed to the open position, and the operating means may include, asbest shown in FIG. 4, an operating member or handle 13 located at theouter end of the housing member 1 and a stem 12 connected to the handle13 and extending from the handle 13 through the bore 5 fluid-tightlysealed and turnably guided therein into the chamber 6. The stem 12 hasat its lower end a portion 16 of non-round, preferably square, crosssection which extends with a slide fit into a correspondingly shapedaxially extending cavity formed in the upper substantially cup-shapedportions 17 of a connecting member located in the cavity 6 and extendingwith a coaxial stem portion 20 through and beyond the axial bore 10 andbeing fixedly connected at its lower end to the valve body 21 by beingfor instance formed at its lower end portion with an outer screw threadwhich is threaded in a corresponding screw-threaded central bore in theupper portion of the valve body 21. During turning of the handle 13 inone or the other direction, the valve body 21 therefore will be turnedin the corresponding direction while being free to move with theconnecting member 17, 20 in axial direction relative to the stem 12connected to the handle 13. Biasing means, which may be in the form of acoil compression spring 19', are located in the chamber 6 about part ofthe connecting members 17, 20 abutting with the lower end thereofagainst an upper surface of the housing member 9 and with its upper endagainst a shoulder face of the cupshaped portion 17 of the connectingmember and being biased to move the latter and the valve body 21connected thereto in upward direction, that is to move the valve body toits closed position in 4 which the gasket 23 engages the valve seat 11.The stem 20 is formed in its peripheral surface with at least one, andpreferably a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 22 so as topermit gas from the interior of the container 3 to flow through the bore10 into the chamber 6 and from there through the discharge passage 7 tothe outside of the container when the valve body 21 is in the openposition as shown for instance in FIG. 4. The spring 19 is biased toyieldably maintain the valve body 21 in its closed position.

To move the valve body 21 during turning of the handle 13 from itsclosed to its open position, the device includes further cam meanscomprising an annular member 14 fixedly mounted in an upper portion ofthe chamber 6 and having a pair of downwardly extending anddiametrically oppositely arranged camming portions 15 and 15', as bestshown in FIG. 5, and a second pair of diametrically oppositely arrangedcamming portions 18 and 18' in form of prong-shaped projectionsprojecting upwardly from the upper surface of the cup-shaped portion 17of the connecting member and adapted to cooperate with the fixed cammingportions 15 and 15 during turning of the handle 13 to depress theconnecting members 17, 20 against the action of the compression spring19 to move thereby the valve body 21 to the open position, as shown inFIG. 4, when the apexes of the camming portions 15 and 15' arerespectively aligned with the camming portions 18 and 18 and to free theconnecting member 17, 20 to move in upward direction under the action ofthe compression spring 19 to thereby move the valve body 21 to itsclosed position when the camming portions 18 and 18 have been moved pastthe camming portions 15 and 15'.

The embodiment according to the present invention illustrated in FIGS.1-7 includes further arresting means for arresting the valve body 21 inits open position. The arresting means comprise an arresting pin 30having an enlarged diameter portion which is slidably guided in acylindrical housing 31 screwed into an opening in an L- shaped bracket28, the longer leg of which extends spaced from and parallel to the axisof the valve body 21 and the shorter upper leg of which is connected,for instance by a screw 29, to the bottom end of the housing member 1. Acompression spring 32 located in the cylindrical hous ing 31 engageswith opposite ends thereof the enlarged diameter portion of thearresting pin 30 and a closure cap screwed onto the open rear end of thecylindrical housing 31, so as to bias the arresting pin 30 towards thevalve body 21. The latter is provided intermediate its ends with a camgroove 37 vertically aligned with the front end of the arresting pin 30when the valve body 21 is in its open position, as for instance shown inFIG. 4, so that the front end of the arresting pin will engage into thecam groove 37 to hold thereby the valve body 21 in its open position. Itis pointed out that the depth of the cam groove 37 decreases from itsmaximum depth shown in FIG. 4 in direction of turning the handle 13towards the closed position, i.e., a position in which the valve willclose, and becomes zero in the latter position, so that by turning thehandle 13 to the closed position, the arresting pin 30 will be pushedback against the action of the compression spring 32 so that when thehandle 13 i moved to the closed position the valve body 21 will be freeto move upwardly to its closed position under the action of thecompression spring 19.

In order to move the valve body 21 from its open to its closed positionwithout actuating the handle and after a predetermined volume ofcompressed gas has been discharged from the container, the device of thepresent invention includes float 40 adapted to float on the liquefiedgas 4 in the container 3 and to follow the level variations of theliquefied gas during discharge of gas from the container, anintermediate member 26 which, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-7, isin the form of an elongated rod coaxially arranged with the valve body21 and extending with an upper portion 25 of non-round and preferablysquare cross-section with a slide fit into a correspondingly shapedcavity 24 formed in the bottom end portion of the valve body 21 so as tobe connected to the latter for turning movement about its axis whilebeing free to move relative to the valve body in axial direction from anupper starting position, as for instance shown in FIG. 4 along a limitedstroke downwardly to a position as for instance shown in FIG. 2.

The arrangements includes further means connecting the intermediatemember to the float, regardless of the position of the latter, duringmovement of the valve body 21 by the operating means including thehandle 13 from the closed to the open position of the valve and fordisconnecting the intermediate member 26 from the float 40 duringreverse movement of the operating means so that the intermediate member26, when connected with the float 40, will move during discharge of gasfrom the container 3 in downward direction from its starting position asshown in FIG. 4. The aforementioned connecting means for connecting theintermediate member 26 to the float 40 preferably comprise, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of spring clips 45 and 46 arranged diametricallyopposite to each other in a central bore extending through the float 40and being connected at one end in any convenient manner to the boresurface. The intermediate member or rod 26 extends with considerableclearance through the aforementioned central bore of the float 40 andthe rod has an oblong cross section or is provided at diametricallyopposite sides with a pair of longitudinally extending ribs 47 and 48 sothat the rod 26, when the valve is turned by the handle 13 to its closedposition, will assume the position as shown in FIG. 7 in which the ribs47 and 48 are disengaged from the spring clips 45 and 46 so that the rod26 and the float 40 may move freely relative to each other and so thatwhen the valve is turned by the handle 13 to its open position, the rod26 with its ribs will assume the position as shown in FIG. 6 in whichthe ribs engage the spring clips 45 and 46 so that the rod 26 will be,by the frictional forces thus developed, connected to the float formovement therewith in axial direction.

To prevent, during turning of the rod 26 between the positions as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7, the float 40 from turning with the rod before the ribs47 and 48 on the rod are properly engaged with or disengaged from thespring clips 45 and 46, the float 40 is provided with a pair of guideportions or noses 41 and 42 projecting diametrically opposite each otherfrom the peripheral surface of the float and cooperating with guidegrooves 43, 44, respectively, provided in a tubular guide member 38guiding the float for movement in axial direction and being connected atthe upper end in any convenient manner to a bottom portion of thehousing member 1, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The guide tube 38 isprovided along its length with a plurality of large openings 39 so thatliquefied gas in the container 3 may freely pass through the openings 39into the interior of the guide tube 38. Preferably, the

guide tube 38 is surrounded with a cylindrical wire netting 50preventing impurities in the form of small particles which may becontained in the liquefied gas 4 to penetrate into the interior of thetube and thereby increase the friction between the inner tube surfaceand the outer surface of the float.

The arrangement includes further control means cooperating with theintermediate member or the rod 26 and the valve body 21 for moving thelatter to the closed position independent from an operator, when thefloat 40 during discharge of gas from the container 3 has been loweredthrough a predetermined distance and thereby moved the intermediatemember 26 connected thereto through this distance in downward directionso as to limit the amount of gas discharged from the container afteropening of the valve to a predetermined volume in a fully automaticmanner. The control means in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-7include a transverse member or disk 36 fixed to an upper portion of therod 26 and cooperating with the lower portion of a lever 33 pivoted atthe upper end at 34 to a small bracket extending laterally from thebracket 28. The lever 33 is connected intermediate its ends to a pin 35extending through the enlarged diameter portion of the arresting pin 30and a slot in the cylindrical housing 31 in such a manner that the leverunder the action of the compression spring 32 in the housing 31 will beobliquely inclined to the axis of the rod 26 and remain in engagementwith the disk 36. The inclination of the lever 33 and the diameter ofthe disk 36 are chosen in such a manner that when the intermediatemember or rod 26 moves downwardly with the float 40 connected theretothrough a predetermined distance, the lever 33 will be turned about thepivot pin 34 in clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 3 tothe position shown in FIG. 2 to thereby retract the pivot pin 30 fromthe cam groove 37 so as to free the valve body 21 to move in upwarddirection to its closed position under the influence of the compressionspring 19.

The device includes further means which may be in the form of acompression spring 49 about an upper portion of the rod 26 and abuttingwith opposite ends thereof against the bottom face of the disk 36 andthe top face of a transverse wall through the guide tube 38. Spring 49cooperates with the intermediate member 26 for moving the latter back toits starting position, i.e., in engagement with the end face of thecavity 24 in the valve body 21 when the handle 13 is moved to the closedposition in which the rod 26 is turned to the position as shown in FIG.7 and thereby disconnected from the float.

The operation of the device described above will be as follows:

Assuming the valve is in the open position, further discharge of gasfrom the container 3 may be stopped by manually turning the handle 13 toits closed position, whereby the valve body 21 is likewise rotatedthrough the same angle and becomes disengaged from the arresting pin 30since, as described above, the depth of the cam groove 31 decreases indirection of rotation of the handle 13 and the valve body 21 connectedthereto for rotation therewith to the closed position and becomes zeroin the latter position so that the valve body is freed to move under theinfluence of the compression spring 19 in upward direction in engagementwith the valve seat 11 and further discharge of gas from the containeris stopped. During such turning of the handle 13, the rod 26 will beturned to the position as shown in FIG. 7, that is to be disengaged fromthe float, and move upwardly relative to the latter under the influenceof the spring 49 until the upper end of the rod 26 is stopped by the endface of the cavity 24. When it is now desired to again draw gas from thecontainer 3, the operator will turn the handle 13 from its closed to itsopen position and during this turning movement the stem 12, theconnecting member 17, 20, the valve body 21 and the rod 26, allconnected to each other for simultaneous turning, will turn through acorresponding angle. During this turning of the connecting member 17,20, the prong-shaped cam portions 18 and 18' projecting upwardly fromthe cup-shaped portion 17 of the connecting member will cooperate withthe camming portions 15 and 15' of the cam 14 fixedly mounted in thechamber 6 to move the connecting member and the valve body 21, fixedthereto for movement in axial direction, downwardly to a position inwhich the cam groove 37 will be aligned with the arresting pin so thatthe latter will hold the valve body 21 in its lower open position, whilethe camming portions 18 and 18' move beyond the camming portions 15 and15'. When the handle 13 is moved to the open position, the valve body 21will therefore be held in its lowered open position as shown in FIGS. 3and 4 only by the arresting pin 30 engaged in the cam groove 37. Duringturning of the handle 13 to the open position, the intermediate member26 is turned to the position as shown in FIG. 6

in which the intermediate member or rod 26 is coupled with the float 40for movement in axial direction with the latter.

When the elements of the device are in the position relative to eachother as described above, gas forming in the upper portion of thecontainer 3 from the liquefied gas 4 may flow freely from the interiorof the container through the longitudinal grooves 22 in the stem 20 intothe chamber 6 to pass from there through the discharge passage 7 to anyutilization apparatus connected to the pipe coupling 8, while the liquidlevel in the container is gradually lowered and the float 40 as well asthe rod 26 connected thereto will move in downward direction. It shouldbe noted that the force of the compression spring 49 is only suflicientto lift the rod 26 alone, but the force of this compression spring willbe overcome when the float 40 is connected to the rod, i.e., the spring49 will not prevent lowering of the rod 26 and the float connectedthereto during lowering of the liquid level in the container 3.

As the rod 26 is lowered, the disk 36 fixedly connected to the rod willact on the lever 33 to turn the latter gradually in clockwise directionabout its pivot pin 34 so that after the rod 26 has moved downwardly apredetermined distance, the arresting pin 30 will be disengaged from thecam groove 37 and the valve body 21 be freed to move under the action ofthe compression spring 19 to its closed position to therebyautomatically stop further discharge of gas from the container. Theamount of gas delivered is a function of the stroke traveled by the disk36 and can be preset by adjusting the ratio between the arms of thelever 33, the diameter of the disk 36 and other parameters.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another embodiment of the safety deviceaccording to the present invention. In this embodiment, the valve body55 and the discharge passage through the housing member controlled bythe valve body is located laterally of the bore through which the stem53 connected to the operating member or knob 54 extends. The stem 53 isin its lower portion formed with an elongated cavity extending in axialdirection and, preferably, of square cross section, in which the upperportion of corresponding cross section of the intermediate member or rod26 extends with a slide fit so that the rod 26 is again connected to thestem 53 for turning movement therewith while being free to move relativethereto in axial direction. The rod 26 extends as described inconnection with the first embodiment through an axial opening of thefloat 40 and is connectible with and disconnectible from the latter inthe manner as described in connection with the first embodiment. Acompression spring is again coiled about a portion of the rod 26 andcooperates with the latter to bias the rod in upward direction so thatthe rod, when disconnected from the float, will move under the force ofthe compression spring coiled thereabout to its starting position asshown in FIG. 9.

The control means which cooperate with the intermediate member or rod 26and the valve body 55 are in this embodiment constituted by athree-armed lever 56 which is pivoted about a fixed pivot axis. The arm56a of the lever 56 is connected, in a manner not shown in the drawing,to the valve body 55, for instance by a pin fixed to the arm 56a andextending through a slot in the downwardly extending portion of thevalve body 55 and arranged transverse to its axis, whereas the arm 56bis arranged to interfere with the stroke of the disk 36 fixed to anupper portion of the rod 26 and the third arm 56c is engaged in a camslot 51 formed in a cylindrical sectoral extension 52 integral with thestem 53 connected to the handle 54 for rotation therewith.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 will operate as follows:

By turning the handle 54 from the closed position to the open position,the cam sector 52 is turned through the same angle and the cam slot 51extends spirally through the sector 52 in such a direction that duringthis movement of the handle 54 the valve body 52 is brought from theclosed position, as shown in FIG. 8, to the open position, as shown inFIG. 9, since the tail portion of the arm 56c moving over the profile ofthe cam slot is brought to the upper end of the cam slot.Simultaneously, the rod 26 is engaged with the float 40 as described inconnection with the first embodiment. When, now, during discharge of gasfrom the container, the level of liquefied gas in the container dropsthrough a predetermined distance, the float and the rod 26 connectedthereto will move downwardly until the transverse disk 36 engages thetail end of the arm 56b of the lever 56 so that the latter will move thevalve body 55 connected to the arm 56a of the lever from the openposition, as shown in FIG. 9, to the closed position, as shown in FIG.8.

Whenever it is desired to deliver gas again from the container, thehandle 54 should first be restored to its closed position and then bebrought to the open position, in the same manner as in the previouslydescribed embodiment, so that the rod 26 will become disconnected fromthe float and be free to move to its starting position under theinfluence of the compression spring coiled about an upper portion of therod.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofsafety devices for limiting the amount of gas discharged from acontainer containing a liquid gas to a predetermined volume after eachopening of a valve connected to the container differing from the typesdescribed above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in asafety device for limiting the amount of gas discharged from a containerto a predetermined volume and including a float adapted to float on theliquefied gas in the container and means connecting the float to thevalve for automatically closing the latter after discharge of apredetermined volume of gas from the container and correspondingdropping of the liquid level therein, it is not intended to be limitedto the details shown, since various modifications and structural changesmay be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharaceristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and,therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehendedwithin the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety device for limiting the amount of gas discharged from acontainer containing a liquefied gas to a predetermined volumecomprising, in combination, valve means connected to the container andincluding a valve body movable between an open and a closed position;operating means operable from the exterior of the container for movingsaid valve body at least from one to the other of the positions thereof;a float adapted to float on the liquefied gas in the container and tofollow variations of the level of the liquefied gas during discharge ofgas from the container; an intermediate member movable from a startingposition in one direction along a limited predetermined stroke and backto its starting position; means connecting said intermediate member tosaid float regardless of the position of the latter during moving ofsaid valve body by said operating means from said closed to said openposition and for disconnecting said member from said float duringreverse movement of said operating means so that said member, whenconnected with said float, will move during discharge of gas from thecontainer in said one direction away from its starting position; controlmeans cooperating with said intermediate member and said valve body formoving the latter to said closed position when said float duringdischarge of gas has been lowered through a predetermined distance andthereby move said intermediate member connected thereto through saiddistance in said one direction so as to limit the amount of gasdischarge from said container after opening of said valve means; andmeans cooperating with said intermediate member for moving the latterback to its starting position when said operating means is moved in saidreverse direction and thereby disconnects said intermediate member fromsaid float.

2. A safety device as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for movingsaid intermediate member back to its starting position comprise biasingmeans which are biased to yieldably maintain said intermediate member inits starting position.

3. A safety device as defined in claim 2, wherein said intermediatemember is in the form of an elongated rod movable in axial direction andturnable about its axis by said operating means for connecting said rodwith and for disconnecting it from said float.

4. A safety device as defined in claim 3, wherein said valve meanscomprises housing means formed with a bore therethrough coinciding withthe axis of said rod and with a discharge passage laterally of said boreand having an inner portion forming a valve seat engaged by said valvebody in said closed position of the latter, said operating meansincluding a stem extending fluid-tightly sealed through said boreturnably about said axis, said rod being connected to said stem forturning therewith about said axis and movable in axial directionrelative thereto, said control means including lever means turnableabout a fixed pivot axis and connected at one end to the valve body, anda transverse member fixed to said rod and adapted to engage said levermeans when said rod has been moved by said float from its startingposition through said predetermined distance to turn said lever means ina direction which moves said valve body to its closed position inengagement with the valve seat.

5. A safety device as defined in claim 4, and including cam means havinga cam face and being connected to said stem for turning therewith aboutsaid axis and cooperating with said lever means for turning the latterin the direction which moves said valve body to its open position.

6. A safety device as defined in claim 5, wherein said lever meansincludes a three-armed lever, one arm of which is connected to saidvalve body, the second arm of which engages said cam face, and the thirdarm of which is located in the path of said transverse member so thatthe latter engages said third arm during movement of said rod in saidone direction through said predetermined distance to thereby move saidvalve body to said closed position.

7. A safety device as defined in claim 3, wherein said rod extendssubstantially coaxially arranged with said float with clearance throughan axial bore in the latter, and wherein said means for connecting saidrod to said float comprise resilient means in said bore, said rod havinga cross section to engage and compress said resilient means duringturning of the rod about its axis to a first position to connect thefloat to the rod and to disengage the rod during its turning to a secondposition from said resilient means to free said rod and said float forrelative movement with respect to each other.

8. A safety device as defined in claim 7, and including guide meanscooperating with said float for guiding the same in axial direction butpreventing said float from turning about its axis.

9. A safety device as defined in claim 1 wherein said operating meanscomprises an operating member turnably mounted on said valve means andcam means connected to said operating member and cooperating with saidvalve body for moving the latter at least from said closed to said openposition.

10. A safety device as defined in claim 9, wherein said operating memberis turnable about an axis coaxial with said valve body.

11. A safety device as defined in claim 10, and including arrestingmeans movable between an active and an inactive position and cooperatingin said active position with said valve body to maintain the latter insaid open position, said control means including biasing meanscooperating with said valve body to yieldably maintain the latter insaid closed position and means between said arresting means and saidintermediate member to move said arresting means to said inactiveposition when said intermediate member has moved together with saidfloat in said one direction through said predetermined distance to freesaid valve body to move under the influence of said biasing meanscooperating therewith to said closed position.

12. A safety device as defined in claim 11, wherein said arresting meanscomprise a peripheral cam groove, in said valve body and a springpressed arresting pin guided for movement in and out of said cam groove,and wherein said means between said arresting means and saidintermediate member comprise a lever pivoted at one end about a fixedpivot axis and being connected intermediate its ends to said arrestingpin, and means on said intermediate member adapted to engage said leverin the region of its free end to turn said lever about its pivot axis inthe direction to withdraw the pin from said cam groove when saidintermediate member is moved through said predetermined distance in saidone direction.

13. A safety device as defined in claim 12, wherein said valve meansinclude housing means formed with an axial bore therethrough coincidingwith said turning axis of said operating member and having an outer andan inner end, a chamber coaxial with said bore intermediate the ends ofthe latter, a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a valveseat at the inner end of said bore and adapted to cooperate with one endof said valve body, said operating means comprising a stem, connected tosaid operating member and extending fluid-tightly sealed from the outerend of said bore into said chamber, a connecting member extending fromsaid chamber through said inner end of said bore and being connected atone end to said stem for turning therewith about the turning axis andfor movement relative thereto in axial direction and at the other end tosaid valve body, and said cam means comprising at least two cammingportions extending in axial direction toward each other, a first of saidtwo camming portions being fixedly mounted in said chamber, and thesecond of said two camming portions being mounted on a portion of saidconnecting member in said chamber, said camming portions engaging eachother during turning of said operating member so as to move said valvebody to its open position spaced from said valve seat and said cammingportions become disengaged from each other during further movement ofsaid operating member so that, when the arresting means are moved to itsinactive position, said valve body will be free to move under the actionof said biasing means cooperating therewith to its closed position inengagement with said valve seat.

14. A safety device as defined in claim 13, wherein said intermediatemember comprises an elongated rod coaxial with said turning axis andconnected to the other end of said valve body for turning therewithabout said axis and for movement relative thereto in axial direction.

(References on following page) 11 12 References Cited WILLIAM F. ODEA,Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID R. MATTHEWS, AssistantExaminer 2,820,419 1/1958 Albertson 137-420 X 2,889,846 6/1959 Glasby eta1 137 420 X 3,082,785 3/1963 Radway 137-386 5 137 420, 429; 251-66,229, 263

